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Chef Emeril Lagasse returns as judge on Season 11 of Top Chef. Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of 13 restaurants including three in New Orleans (Emeril’s, NOLA and Emeril’s Delmonico); four in Las Vegas (Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House, Delmonico Steakhouse, Table 10 and Lagasse’s Stadium); two in Orlando (Emeril’s Orlando and Tchoup Chop); three at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Pennsylvania (Emeril’s Italian Table, Emeril’s Chop House and Burgers And More by Emeril), and his most recent opening in Charlotte, North Carolina with e2 Emeril’s Eatery.

As a national TV personality, he has hosted over 2000 shows on the Food Network, and is the food correspondent for ABC’s Good Morning America. He is also the host of Emeril’s Florida, Fresh Food Fast, and The Originals with Emeril, appearing on Cooking Channel.

Lagasse is the best-selling author of 17 cookbooks including Emeril’s New New Orleans Cooking, which introduced his creative take on Creole cuisine. His 17th book, Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches, will debut in October 2012.

In 2002, Emeril established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support children’s educational programs that inspire and mentor young people through the culinary arts, nutrition, healthy eating, and important life skills. To date, the Foundation has given over $5.5 million to children’s causes in New Orleans, Las Vegas and on the Gulf Coast.

Lagasse's restaurant company, Emeril's Homebase, is located in New Orleans and houses culinary operations, a test kitchen for recipe development, and a boutique store for his signature products.

Emeril Lagasse joined the Martha Stewart family of brands in 2008; Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE: MSO) acquired the assets related to Emeril’s media and merchandising business, including television programming, cookbooks, and emerils.com website, and his licensed kitchen and food products.

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her extensive expertise as permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef, currently in its 16th season. She was head critic on Top Chef Masters, host of Top Chef Just Desserts, Bravo’s pastry-focused spinoff of the Top Chef franchise, and was a judge on Universal Kids’ Top Chef Jr. She also hosts Iron Chef Canada and was the co-host of The Feed..

Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released by Grand Central Publishing in October 2017. Nominated for an IACP award for Best General Cookbook, it features recipes inspired by Gail’s world travels—all made with accessible ingredients and with smart, simple techniques for successful family meals and easy entertaining. Gail’s first book, a memoir titled Talking With My Mouth Full, was published by Hyperion in February 2012.

Gail joined Food & Wine magazine in 2004, where she directs special projects, writing a monthly column and working closely with the country’s top culinary talent on events and chef-related initiatives. During her tenure, she has been responsible for overseeing the annual Classic in Aspen, America’s premier culinary event. Prior to working at Food & Wine, Gail was the special events manager for Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurant empire.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Gail moved to New York City in 1999 to attend culinary school at what is now the Institute of Culinary Education. She then trained in the kitchens of legendary Le Cirque 2000 and groundbreaking Vong restaurants, and worked as the assistant to Vogue magazine’s esteemed food critic, Jeffrey Steingarten. Throughout her career, Gail has contributed to several books, including It Must’ve Been Something I Ate by Steingarten, Chef Daniel Boulud: Cooking in New York City and The New American Chef, by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page.

In 2014, Gail and her business partner Samantha Hanks, founded Bumble Pie Productions, an original content company dedicated to discovering and promoting new female voices in the food and lifestyle space. Their first series, “Star Plates”—a collaboration with Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films and Authentic Entertainment—premiered in Fall 2016 on the Food Network.

In addition, Gail makes frequent television appearances on NBC’s TODAY, ABC’s Good Morning America, and the Rachel Ray Show, among others. She has been featured in publications such as People, New York magazine, Travel + Leisure, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, US Weekly, Los Angeles Times, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by the New York Post. Along with her annual appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, she makes regular appearances at the nation’s foremost culinary festivals, including the Austin Food & Wine Festival and Charleston Wine & Food Festival.

In February 2013, Gail was appointed Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Babson College, a mentoring role where she works with student entrepreneurs, helping them develop food-related social enterprises. In April 2016, she received the Award of Excellence by Spoons Across America, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating children about the benefits of healthy eating. She is an active board member and supporter of City Harvest, Hot Bread Kitchen, Common Threads, and the Institute of Culinary Education.

Gail currently lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.

Hugh Acheson returns as a judge for for the twelfth season of Top Chef as a series judge. A competitor on Top Chef Duels as a series judge. A competitor on Top Chef Masters Season 3, Hugh is the chef/owner of Five & Ten, The National, Cinco y Diez, Empire State South and The Florence. In addition, Acheson also serves as a series judge on Bravo's newest culinary competition series, Top Chef Duels.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada Hugh started cooking at a young age and decided to make it his career. At age 15, he began working in restaurants after school and learning as much as possible. Today, Hugh's experience includes working under Chef Rob MacDonald where he learned stylized French cuisine, wine and etiquette at the renowned Henri Burger restaurant in Ottawa as well as in San Francisco as the chef de cuisine with Chef Mike Fennelly at Mecca, and later as opening sous-chef with famed Chef Gary Danko at his namesake restaurant.

Taking these experiences, Hugh developed a style of his own forging together the beauty of the South with the flavors of Europe and opening the critically acclaimed Athens, GA, restaurant Five & Ten in March of 2000. Hugh went on to open The National, with fellow chef Peter Dale, in 2007. His Atlanta-based restaurant Empire State South opened in 2010 and most recently, in 2014; Hugh opened both Cinco y Diez, in Athens, and The Florence in Savannah.

Hugh's fresh approach to Southern food has earned him a great deal of recognition including Food & Wine's Best New Chef (2002), the AJC Restaurant of the Year (2007), a 2007 Rising Star from StarChefs.com and winner of their Mentor Award in 2012, and a six-time James Beard nominee for Best Chef Southeast (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012) and winner in 2012. Chef Mario Batali chose Hugh as one of the 100 contemporary chefs in Phaidon Press' Coco: 10 World Leading Master Choose 100 Contemporary Chefs.

In addition to running three restaurants, Hugh has published two cookbooks. His first, titled A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for your Kitchen, was published by Clarkson Potter in the fall of 2011 and won the James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook in 2012. His second, titled Pick a Pickle: 50 Recipes for Pickles, Relishes and Fermented Snacks came out in the spring of 2014. He is in the process of writing his third, which is due out in 2015.

Emmy-nominated Padma Lakshmi is internationally known as an actress, food expert, model, and The New York Times best-selling author, as well as the recipient of the 2016 NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Padma also serves as host and executive producer of Bravo's Emmy award-winning Top Chef, currently in its 15th season.

Padma was born in India and grew up in America. She graduated from Clark University with a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre Arts and American Literature. Known as India's first supermodel, she began her career as a fashion model, working in Europe and the United States.

Padma established herself as a food expert early in her career, having hosted two successful cooking shows and writing the best-selling Easy Exotic, which won the "Best First Book" award at the 1999 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. She followed this success with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, which has over 150 recipes from around the world alongside intriguing personal essays. In 2016, She released her food memoir, The New York Times best-selling Love, Loss and What We Ate, followed shortly thereafter by The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs.

In addition to her food writing, she has also contributed to such magazines as Vogue, Gourmet and both British and American Harper's Bazaar, as well as a syndicated column on fashion and food for The New York Times.

For the Food Network, she hosted Padma's Passport, where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world. She also hosted Planet Food, a documentary series on the Food Network and broadcast worldwide on the Discovery Channel. Padma was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role as host and judge on Bravo's Top Chef, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Show. Other television credits include co-hosting Rai Television's Domenica In, Italy’s highest-rated morning news program.

In 2009, Padma co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America alongside world-renowned Advanced Gynecological Surgeon Tamer Seckin, MD. After suffering from the disease for decades herself, she has been able to make amazing strides with the foundation, like launching the first interdisciplinary research facility in the country for Gynepathology as a joint project between Harvard Medical School and MIT, where she gave the keynote address at the Center’s opening in December 2009. Her efforts were recently recognized on the floor of the New York State Senate, where she succeeded in passing a bill related to teen health initiatives. The organization’s ENPOWR program has currently educated over 15,000 students about endometriosis in high schools across the state of New York.

In addition to these projects, Padma is a savvy businesswoman with multiple companies of her own. Her debut home décor line, The Padma Collection, hit Bloomingdale's stores nationwide with tabletop dishware, stemware and hand-blown glass décor pieces. She also created Padma's Easy Exotic, a collection of culinary products ranging from frozen organic foods, fine teas, and natural spice blends, to hard goods.

One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio returns once again as lead judge for Bravo's 16th season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning culinary series Top Chef, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges. He also hosts BravoTV.com's Emmy-Winning Digital Companion Video Series Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

Tom is also the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which currently includes New York's Craft, Riverpark, Temple Court and newest edition Small Batch; Los Angeles' Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom made his New York cooking debut at prominent New York restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill and Gramercy Tavern before opening Craft in 2001. Outside of his fine dining restaurants, Colicchio opened 'Wichcraft – a sandwich and salad fast casual concept rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft – in New York City in 2003.

He has published Think Like a Chef (2000), which won The James Beard Foundation "KitchenAid" Cookbook Award in May 2001; Craft of Cooking (2003); and a sandwich book inspired by 'wichcraft (2009). In May 2010, Tom was awarded The James Beard Foundation's coveted "Outstanding Chef" award, the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry.

Tom appears in and served as executive producer on A Place at the Table, Participant Media's documentary about food insecurity in America, produced and directed by his wife, Lori Silverbush, by Kristi Jacobson. A Place at the Table, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2013, has become the launchpad for a national movement centered on ending hunger in the United States.

In an effort to broaden his long-standing social and political activism, Tom co-founded Food Policy Action in 2012 in collaboration with national food policy leaders, in order to hold legislators accountable on votes that have an effect on food and farming. He has also been an outspoken voice on issues like GMO labeling and the use of antibiotics in food sources, and he continues to lobby for better anti-hunger policies in America.

Tom and his restaurants give back to the community by serving on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest, Wholesome Wave and Food Policy Action. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and three sons. When he's not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending to his garden on the North Fork of Long Island, enjoying a day of fishing or playing guitar.

The name Wolfgang Puck is synonymous with the best of restaurant hospitality and the ultimate in all aspects of the culinary arts. The famous chef has built an empire that encompasses three separate Wolfgang Puck entities: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc.

Puck began cooking at his mother's side as a child. She was a chef in the Austrian town where he was born, and with her encouragement, Wolfgang began his formal training at 14 years of age. As a young chef he worked in some of France's greatest restaurants, including Maxim's in Paris, the Hotel de Paris in Monaco, and the Michelin 3-starred L'Oustau de Baumanière in Provence. At the age of 24, Wolfgang took the advice of a friend and left Europe for the United States. His first job was at the restaurant La Tour in Indianapolis, where he worked from 1973 to 1975.

Wolfgang came to Los Angeles in 1975 and very quickly garnered the attention of the Hollywood elite as chef and eventually part owner of Ma Maison in West Hollywood. His dynamic personality and culinary brilliance that bridged tradition and invention made Ma Maison a magnet for the rich and famous, with Wolfgang as the star attraction. He had an innate understanding of the potential for California cuisine, and was pivotal in its rise to national attention during the late 1970s.

From Ma Maison, Wolfgang went on to create his first flagship restaurant, Spago, originally located in West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. From its opening day in 1982, Spago was an instant success and culinary phenomenon. His early signature dishes, such as haute cuisine pizzas topped with smoked salmon and caviar, and Sonoma baby lamb with braised greens and rosemary, put him and Spago on the gourmet map, not just in Los Angeles but throughout the world. Wolfgang and Spago earned many accolades during its popular 18 years in West Hollywood, including winning the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Chef of the Year, twice, in 1991 and 1998, and the James Beard Foundation Award for Restaurant of the Year in 1994. Wolfgang is the only chef to have won the Outstanding Chef of the Year Award two times.

In 1983, following the success of Spago, Puck went on to open Chinois on Main in Santa Monica. His early exposure to Southern California's multicultural population intrigued him, inspiring him to fuse the Asian flavors and products of Koreatown, Chinatown, and Thaitown with his French- and California-based cuisine in a fine dining setting. Chinois on Main brought diners a fresh and imaginative Asian-fusion menu that laid the groundwork for fusion cooking in America.

In 1989, Wolfgang opened his third restaurant, Postrio, in the Prescott Hotel off San Francisco's Union Square. Postrio also draws upon the multi-ethnic nature of its surroundings. Its contemporary American cuisine, with its emphasis on local ingredients, continues to draw rave reviews in Northern California's highly competitive culinary market.

In 1997, Wolfgang moved Spago to an elegant setting on Cañon Drive in Beverly Hills. His Beverly Hills menu blazed new ground, with a combination of updated Spago classics and newly conceived items created by the award-winning talents of Managing Partner/Executive Chef Lee Hefter and Executive Pastry Chef Sherry Yard. The seasonal menu also draws from Wolfgang's favorite childhood dishes, offering a selection of Austrian specialties such as Wienerschnitzel and Kaiserschmarren. Spago Beverly Hills recently garnered two coveted Michelin Stars, one of only three Los Angeles restaurants to achieve this accolade.

In 2006, Wolfgang opened CUT, a sleek, contemporary steakhouse at the acclaimed Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel. After only one year, CUT earned a prestigious Michelin star. Wolfgang has changed the way Americans cook and eat by mixing formal French techniques and Asian- and California-influenced aesthetics with the highest quality ingredients. He also has changed the face of dining in cities throughout the nation, first in Los Angeles, then in Las Vegas, where he was the first star chef to create a contemporary fine dining restaurant, paving the way for other celebrated chefs and the city's metamorphosis into a dining destination.

After opening Spago in the Forum Shops at Caesars in 1992, Wolfgang went on to open five additional restaurants including Chinois in the Forum Shops at Caesars in 1998, Postrio at The Venetian and Trattoria del Lupo in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in 1999, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at MGM Grand in 2004 and CUT at The Palazzo in 2008.

Since 2001, Wolfgang and his Fine Dining Group have opened restaurants across the United States from Atlantic City (Wolfgang Puck American Grille at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in 2006) to Maui (Spago at the Four Seasons Resort in 2001). These also include The Source in Washington, DC (2007), Wolfgang Puck Grille at MGM Grand Detroit (2007), Spago at The Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in Colorado (2007), Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck at Reunion Tower in Dallas (2009) and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at L.A. Live (2009).

Anthony serves as Executive Chef of Southern Art Bourbon Bar, where he gets to showcase his deep appreciation for Southern ingredients and traditional charcuterie. Growing up in Macon, Georgia, his family had a farm-to-table approach to cooking before they knew what it was -- going out in the backyard to shoot it, cook it and eat it. He met Chef Frank Lee while studying at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, and took a position with him at Slightly North of Broad, where he was introduced to the Maverick Southern Kitchen family. When they opened High Cotton in Charleston, South Carolina, Anthony worked up the ranks and eventually led the kitchens of both the Charleston and Greenville locations. In 2012, StarChefs.com named Anthony “Atlanta Rising Star Chef.” He and his wife recently welcomed a baby boy.

Bart eats, breathes, and sleeps restaurants and food. With a rambunctious personality and flare for strong opinions, Bart loves to share his passions for Belgian cuisine, Belgian beer, and Belgian culture. He is the Executive Chef and Owner of Belga Café, a restaurant in Washington, DC specializing in Belgian food and beer, and the upcoming B Too. Bart began culinary school at age 12, externing at Michelin-starred Au Vigneron, and moving on to work at renowned Belgian restaurants including Piet Huysentruyt and Restaurant Scholteshof, which earned two Michelin stars during his tenure as Sous Chef. Bart moved to DC in 1997 to serve as Executive Chef to the Ambassador to the European Union, followed by the Dutch Embassy. In 2006, Bart won StarChef.com's “Rising Star Chef” award, and in 2007 he prepared the Belgian Beer Lover’s Degustation at the James Beard House. He was also knighted in the order of Leopold II in 2009. Bart’s cooking is a combination of rustic and refined, playful yet soulful.

Los Angeles native Brooke Williamson has carved out an impressive resume full of leading roles and professional achievement, such as being the youngest female chef to ever cook at the James Beard House and a runner-up on Top Chef season 10 in Seattle. As the co-owner and co-chef, along with husband Nick Roberts, of successful ventures including Hudson House in Redondo Beach, and The Tripel, Playa Provisions, and the culinary retail boutique Tripli-Kit in Playa Del Rey, the culinary duo strives to bring a bit of LA's gourmet beachside vibe to the South Bay of Los Angeles. In October 2016, the wife and husband team debuted their fifth concept, a fast-casual Hawaiian restaurant called Da Kikokiko in Playa Vista, featuring three of Hawaii's most popular street foods: shave ice, poke, and musubi. Before the success of her hospitality empire, Williamson's career began as a teacher's assistant at the Epicurean Institute of Los Angeles, followed by a pastry assistant at Fenix, under the tutelage of Michelin-starred Chef Ken Frank. She later worked as the youngest sous chef at the nationally acclaimed restaurant Michael's of Santa Monica, before staging at the renowned Daniel restaurant by Chef and Owner Daniel Boulud in New York City. Two years later, Williamson was appointed her first Executive Chef position at the notable Los Angeles restaurant Boxer, which led her to opening the Brentwood eatery Zax as executive chef, where she began to develop her signature California-inspired cuisine—infused with local ingredients and global flavors. In addition to her experience competing on Top Chef, Williamson has no fear on camera and has also participated on other national TV shows including Top Chef Duels, winning a battle on Esquire Network's Knife Fight, and hosting MTV's first foodie series, House of Food.

Carla is a Brazilian-born, Italian-raised chef that is a household name in Las Vegas. She is currently Executive Chef and Owner of Vegas staple Bratalian Neapolitan Cantina, in Henderson, Nevada. When Carla first came to America, she attended culinary school and then, with Frank Pellegrino, Jr., opened Baldoria Restaurant in New York City. In 2006, a dream became a reality when Carla moved to Las Vegas to open and run Rao’s Las Vegas. She’s cooked at the James Beard House five times, and in 2009 was named VIP member of the James Beard Foundation and a Women in Food Honoree. She is currently working on her first cookbook.

Orange County-born C.J. Jacobson grew up relatively indifferent to food but his rich life experiences eventually converged to create an intense dedication to cooking. His craft is best described as "rustic-refined" and revolves around a profound respect for the hyper-seasonal, local ingredients he brings into his kitchen at Girasol in Studio City, CA, which he conceptually collaborated on with Jorge Pultera, former manager at The Ivy, Koi and Red O.

Jacobson has always been one for a good competition, even before starring on Top Chef. He attended Pepperdine University in Malibu on a volleyball scholarship, made the U.S. National Volleyball Team, and just missed an opportunity to compete in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. But a professional volleyball career took him to Belgium, Israel, and the Netherlands, where he discovered food could be exciting and inspiring. Returning to L.A. after his volleyball career, Jacobson did a three-day immersion at Mélisse, the Michelin two-star restaurant in Santa Monica where he realized the kitchen would be the next arena in which he would compete. He enrolled at the Le Cordon Bleu-affiliated College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, graduating in 2004. Jacobson's first professional job was cooking at Axe, a highly regarded restaurant with an ingredient-driven California menu. He went on to work throughout Los Angeles and as a private chef for VIPs such as Arianna Huffington and Guess clothing's Marciano family.

A bout with cancer didn't slow Jacobson down but fueled his intensity for cooking and love of life. After his first appearance on Top Chef in 2007, he assumed the position of executive chef at The Yard, a gastropub in Venice. The following year, Jacobson participated in the renowned James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour. In 2012, he staged at the world-renowned Copenhagen restaurant Noma.

When he's not in the kitchen, Jacobson enjoys music and has recently rediscovered his passion for the game of volleyball. But leisure time is scarce, as the dedicated 37-year-old chef is consumed by the study and preparation of food.

Chrissy is a spunky Filipino woman who currently serves as Chef at Bar Pastoral, an extension of Chicago’s beloved cheese, specialty food and wine shop, Pastoral. She graduated from Loyola University, Chicago with a degree in biology, and has worked hard to shine throughout her culinary career. When she wasn’t working, Chrissy has staged at acclaimed restaurants such as Bouchon, Alinea, Blackbird, Boka, Avenues, Naha and The Bristol. In 2010, she was featured on the cover of 'Time Out' magazine for her charcuterie plate, and in 2012, Christina was featured on Grubstreet’s “101 of the Most Interesting Desserts.” If she were a food, she says, “I would be a Santol fruit – sometimes sweet, sometimes tart, unusual and a skin that can be thick or thin.”

Daniel is a quirky and hugely creative chef who opened Seasonal Pantry, a market and supper club in Washington, DC, two years ago. Here, he gets to do what he wants, and even created a Wu-Tang Clan-inspired menu for one supper club dinner. Seasonal Pantry has been awarded the coveted Washington Post Editor’s Pick, and was also named one of “10 Best New Restaurants” in the Washingtonian. After a three month internship at Le Laurier Hotel in France, Daniel went on to serve as Executive Chef at Mill Creek Golf Club in New York, Sous Chef at Equinox and Executive Sous Chef at Bibiana Osteria, both in DC. Born and raised in rural New York where he worked in the family garden, most of Daniel’s cooking is country rustic. The five ingredients he keeps on hand at all times is capers, fleur de sel, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and duck fat.

Danyele serves as Sous Chef at one of the oldest, most well-respected restaurants in Dallas, The Grape, under Brian C. Luscher. here, Danyele and Luscher focus on bistro fare with a strong specialization in charcuterie. While she may be a relative newbie, Danyele went from intern to Sous Chef in just two years under mentor Stephan Pyles at his namesake restaurant, outlasting four executive chefs and leading the culinary force behind Fuego, a 10-course tasting menu that uses scientific techniques applied to cooking. She has also traveled with Pyles to multiple Food & Wine festivals, executing their dishes. Very humble about her food and always trying to learn more, Danyele has a raw talent that enables her the opportunity to shine. Her current menus reflect her interest of fresh, seasonal, local fare, and highlight her interest in making simple flavors and classic dishes new and exciting.

Eliza trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, but loves cooking in “little ol’ Telluride” where she can be the boss. This highly competitive chef hates it when people say they put love into their food and says, “it’s not love -- it’s work.” Eliza defines her cooking as Modern Bistro Cuisine, preparing fresh ingredients simply, with bright flavors prepared with French Classic techniques, and serving them in an intimate atmosphere. Her cuisine is comprised of influences from her extensive travels throughout Europe, the Caribbean, New Zealand, Australia and Southern United States. Eliza began working at 221 South Oak Bistro in 1999 and bought it a year later. She has two published cookbooks, Foreplay: A Book of Appeteasers and Recipes from 221 South Oak Bistro.

Lizzie was born and raised in South Africa, but earned her impressive culinary stripes in some of the best kitchens around the globe. With culinary inspirations from her fisherman father and great entertaining grandmothers, she’s ventured from the romantic wilds of Africa, through establishment Europe and foodie Australia, before falling in love with both America and an American and settling in Northern California. Energetic and charismatic, with a true commitment to authentic fresh food, Lizzie has spent time at Jardiniere in San Francisco, The French Laundry in Napa, and Chez Panisse in Berkeley. Most recently the Executive Chef of the acclaimed Italian-inspired Bar Bambino in San Francisco, Lizzie is presently on the hunt for her next adventure. She currently resides in Napa with her chef husband and two kids, Ben, who at age 6 has a studied seasoning hand, and Zaidie, a pasta-making princess at age 3.

Gina is a culinary author, award-winning dietitian and founder and CEO of Nourishing USA, a community food program that feeds tens-of-thousands across America. Utilizing her professional and educational experiences, Gina has become known for her food-focused appearances, cookbooks, her campaign for the use of fresh foods in low-income areas, and as an American Diabetes Ambassador. She has been recognized for her charity work, being named a 2011 CNN Hero and L’Oreal Woman of Worth. Additionally, The Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, American Culinary Federation and The James Beard Foundation have recognized Gina for her culinary and humanitarian impact. If she could have a last meal with anyone, it would be steamed blue crabs with her husband and family, with the bibs, hammers and newspaper on the table.

A native of Northern Virginia, Jeffrey Jew began his career managing restaurants in New York City, Miami, and Washington, D.C. following his graduation from Virginia Tech in 1999 with a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management.

In 2005, Jeffrey enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY where he graduated top of his class with a degree in Culinary Arts. As a Chef, Jeffrey worked for Chef Angela Hartnett and Chef Gordon Ramsay at the famed Connaught Hotel in London and also has spent time cooking in kitchens in France and Italy. While living in Washington, D.C., Jeffrey was the Head Chef of the Embassy of Italy as well as the Chef de Cuisine for some of DC's most notable restaurants. Jeffrey has a passion for wine and has worked the wine harvest here in the United States, France, Italy and Spain. Recently, Jeffrey could be seen cooking on Bravo's cooking competition series Top Chef.

Currently, Jeffrey is the Executive Chef overseeing culinary operations and design for 2BHospitality in Saint Petersburg, Florida, which includes BellaBrava and his new concept set to open in early 2015.

Top Chef Season 10: Seattle. Current Residency: Dallas, TX Occupation/Profession: Chef/Partner/Restaurateur, Knife at The Highland Dallas

Three-time James Beard "Best Southwest Chef" semifinalist and Top Chef season 10 contestant John Tesar is known for his stylish, modern American cuisine prepared with classic European techniques, innovative culinary perspective and no-nonsense personality. Throughout his 20+ years in the restaurant industry, which started in La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in Paris, he has received national nods from Esquire (named for Best New Restaurants for two consecutive years), FOOD & WINE and The New York Times, has made appearances on The Today Show and The Early Show and won the inaugural season of Food Network's Extreme Chef. Chef Tesar worked in Westhampton, New York and Las Vegas before putting down roots in Dallas in 2007 where he has consulted for the menus at DRG Concepts' Dallas Chop House and most recently Oak in the Design District, to name a few. Knife at The Highland Dallas is Tesar's vision of what a contemporary steakhouse should be. Opened in 2014, the chef-driven restaurant has continued to be recognized for reinventing the steakhouse experience. Most recently Knife's pimento cheeseburger was featured as Best Burger in Dallas on The 50 Greatest Burgers list for Texas Magazine and Best Steakhouse by D Magazine's "Best of Big D's" list. Always looking ahead for the next project, Tesar announced he is working with Flatiron Books and Macmillan on a book, Knife: Modern Steak and All American Meats, that will be published in spring 2017.

It seems that Denver natives are as rare as the white truffle, but Denver-born Jorel Pierce is the exception that proves the rule, even graduating from Johnson and Wales University in the Mile High City.

Kitchen stints as diverse as Le Manoir aux Quat Saison in Oxford, England, Willie G's and other chain operations in Denver led Pierce to the kitchen of Rioja as a line cook where he told the other cooks he would be sous chef in just a few weeks. Chef Jasinski promoted him after 18 months, and he has never looked back. Jorel traces his interest in food to early home experiences where he was exposed to complex, exotic flavors, and participated in hunting and foraging. He loved the act of cooking and eating and fell in love with the techniques and foundations that outline great cuisine.

Self-described as passionate, intense and ambitious, Jorel lists Marco Pierre White, Thomas Keller and Rioja Chef/Owner Jennifer Jasinski as culinary inspirations for widely disparate reasons. Pierre White preaches all out utilization of ingredients, Keller pursues perfection and Jasinski has driven Pierce to fulfill his dreams. He loves to cook to jazz music all day but defaults to bluegrass when the world gets crazy.

As a sous chef at Rioja, Pierce learned management techniques, ingredient utilization and inspired cooking from his fellow workers and chefs. He plans on applying those lessons as Chef de Cuisine at Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen.

Pierce is married and lives in south Denver with his wife Lindsey and their 15-year-old Siamese cat Moxie.

**Jorel tried out for and made it to the final round of casting (episode 1001 for Top Chef: Seattle where he was Eliminated in Tom’s kitchen at Craft.

Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Joshua discovered his passion for food from reading cookbooks in high school. His culinary career began in a Mexican restaurant at age 19, where he worked various positions to garner a firm understanding of the inner workings of the restaurant industry. After realizing his passion for the culinary arts, Joshua attended culinary school and went on to gain experience at a variety of restaurants, including Restaurant Alma in Minneapolis and Local in Dallas. Joshua continued his culinary career in Dallas where he joined Stephan Pyles and Samar by Stephan Pyles as Line Cook and Sous Chef. His talents led him back to Oklahoma where he became the Chef de Cuisine at The Coach House restaurant and, most recently, General Manager and Executive Chef at Divine Swine. He recently relocated to Dallas with his wife and three daughters, where he is working at FT 33.

Chef Josie is a classically trained bohemian chef, global adventurist, TV and radio personality, entrepreneur, former women’s pro football player, social activist and lifestyle ambassador. She spent a decade rockin’ the New York City food scene, working under renowned chefs Wylie Dufresne, Jean-Georges Vongrichten, Caroline Fidanza, and Walter Hinds, to name a few. Chef Josie is also a culinary adventurer who has traveled the globe piercing the veins of each place she visits, trading stories, drinking the water, seeking the sounds, tasting the culture, admitting each new place transforms her. Chef Josie connects with people through her genuine smile, good food, and infectious laugh. She continues to connect with people through her genuine smile, good food and infectious laugh. The very busy Chef Josie is currently working on a music-driven cooking show, The Rock and Roll Cooking Show®; a baked potato takeout concept, Global Soul To Go ™; and a popsicle and ice cream company, Pop Queens®. Currently, Chef Josie can be found in San Francisco at Thee Parkside with her pop up Global Soul Corner™.

Born in South Korea and adopted into a family in Kentwood, MI, Kristen Kish showed an affinity for cooking at a young age. Her mother suggested she go to culinary school and since attending Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago, Kristen has never looked back.

After moving to Boston, Kristen has worked in many high-profile restaurants including Michelin-star Chef Guy Martin's Sensing and Barbara Lynch's Stir as Chef de Cuisine, overseeing all back of house operations, including the design and execution of nightly menus and demonstration dinners for 10 guests. Kristen went on to compete on Top Chefwhere she won the coveted title, becoming the second female chef to win the prestigious competition. Most recently, Kristen was Chef de Cuisine of Menton, Chef Barbara Lynch's fine dining restaurant.

Kuniko is living the American Dream, and she came to food in a roundabout way. Unhappy working in finance in her native Japan, Kuniko picked up and moved to Los Angeles, getting a job as a server at a noodle house in Los Angeles. Here, she met Chef David Myers of the Michelin starred Sona, who, moved by Kuniko’s passion and zeal, suggested she test her culinary aspirations in his kitchen. Not only did she rise to the challenge -- an un-trained cook in one of the city’s most famed kitchens -- she blossomed. Five years later, she is Myers’ protégé and most recently served as Executive Chef of his popular Los Angeles restaurant, Comme Ça. She will be opening his upcoming Los Angeles restaurant as Executive Chef in December 2012. In 2010, Kuniko was named StarChef.com’s Rising Star.

Micah has never had a single bite of pork or shellfish until the age of 18, as the son of an orthodox Catholic priest who strictly followed religious kosher law. Now he’s obsessed with pork and everything that comes from the sea. Micah is the co-founder of Chefs Who Surf, an organization that promotes sustainable seafood and ocean conservation. He serves as Executive Chef at Los Angeles’ The Standard Hotel, and has been featured on StarChefs.com, was the opening chef for Venice Beach’s Hotel Erwin where he served up what Food & Wine magazine hailed as the “perfect post-surf breakfast,” featured in various food and travel magazines and was named Pasadena Weekly’s “Rising Star Chef.” Micah named his twin daughters Saffron and Sage to ensure the culinary thread continues through his bloodline.

Born in Hilo, Chef Sheldon Simeon acquired his love for cooking from his parents. His path led from Hilo High to the Culinary Institute of the Pacific onto an internship at Walt Disney World. Upon returning to Hawaii, Simeon attended Maui Culinary Academy. He competed on season 10 of Top Chef in Seattle where he finished as a finalist and won the coveted "Fan Favorite" title. After serving as the executive chef at Maui's Mala Wailea and MiGRANT, he was named in Hawaii Magazine's Top 5 Best Hawaiian Chefs of 2014 and voted FOOD & WINE Magazine's 2014 People's Best New Chef for the Pacific & Northwest. Earlier this year, Simeon opened Tin Roof, a mom and pop eatery in Kahului.

Stefan was born in Finland, but spent the majority of his childhood in Germany where he began culinary training in his early teens. He worked his way through various European and Asian kitchens. In 1998, he joined master chefs Grant McPherson, Sotta Kuhn, Jacques Torres, Jean Philip Maury and Marc Poidevin as part of the creative team for the opening of the Bellagio Hotel, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas as Executive Sous Chef. Since then, Stefan has retired in Santa Monica. Stefan has also opened the restaurant group Stefan's Restaurants in Santa Monica, 5 Steakhouses in his native Finland. Stefan is spending most of his summers traveling and growing organic vegetables, raising chickens on his farm and between each of his European restaurants, maintaining a hands-on approach in the kitchen. During winter month he is traveling for the Finnisch restaurant group SR Max and Restamax to open new concepts like Stefan's Burgers and Beer and multiple others.

Always passionate about cooking, Stephanie Cmar began working in the food industry when she was 15 years old at the Muffin Shop in Marblehead, MA. It ignited her thirst for food and provided the direction for her life. In 2007, Stephanie graduated from Johnson & Wales University and returned to Boston to begin her career at Top of the Hub. She continued developing her talent by working as sous chef at Ivy Restaurant. Her next step was working with Barbara Lynch Gruppo at B&G Oysters in 2009 as line cook where she was quickly promoted to sous chef and from there, she moved over to Stir. Most recently, Stephanie has continued to further her fine dining skills at No. 9 Park. The fast-paced, creative environment continues to inspire her and drives her passion for food.

Tina is a complex chef and individual, who has worked directly with such great chefs as Nobu Matsuhisa, Masaharu Morimoto, Toshi Tomita and Claude Troisgros. She served as Omikase Chef at Nobu in New York before moving over to Nobu Next Door, where she was Head Kitchen Chef and earned three stars from The New York Times. Tina then helped open Cello with Executive Chef Laurent Tourondel, where they also received three stars from The New York Times. Tina moved on three years later to lead the kitchen at Nicole’s. Most recently, Tina serves as Executive Chef and Senior Director of Research and Development for FreshDirect, an online grocer delivering fine foods throughout New York City.

Tyler is the super hyper and energetic Culinary Director for all four of John Elway’s restaurants. He’s been an Executive Chef at four white tablecloth restaurants and has cooked at the James Beard House more times than he can remember. He’s also worked with Michael Mina and Michel Richard. In 2007, he was voted “Top Chef Denver” by 5280 Magazine, and in 2008 was the National Winner of the 19th Annual Taste of Elegance competition. Tyler goes big or doesn’t go at all, and has used that quality to work up the ranks and control some of the best restaurants in Colorado.

Chef Emeril Lagasse returns as judge on Season 11 of Top Chef. Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of 13 restaurants including three in New Orleans (Emeril’s, NOLA and Emeril’s Delmonico); four in Las Vegas (Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House, Delmonico Steakhouse, Table 10 and Lagasse’s Stadium); two in Orlando (Emeril’s Orlando and Tchoup Chop); three at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Pennsylvania (Emeril’s Italian Table, Emeril’s Chop House and Burgers And More by Emeril), and his most recent opening in Charlotte, North Carolina with e2 Emeril’s Eatery.

As a national TV personality, he has hosted over 2000 shows on the Food Network, and is the food correspondent for ABC’s Good Morning America. He is also the host of Emeril’s Florida, Fresh Food Fast, and The Originals with Emeril, appearing on Cooking Channel.

Lagasse is the best-selling author of 17 cookbooks including Emeril’s New New Orleans Cooking, which introduced his creative take on Creole cuisine. His 17th book, Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches, will debut in October 2012.

In 2002, Emeril established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support children’s educational programs that inspire and mentor young people through the culinary arts, nutrition, healthy eating, and important life skills. To date, the Foundation has given over $5.5 million to children’s causes in New Orleans, Las Vegas and on the Gulf Coast.

Lagasse's restaurant company, Emeril's Homebase, is located in New Orleans and houses culinary operations, a test kitchen for recipe development, and a boutique store for his signature products.

Emeril Lagasse joined the Martha Stewart family of brands in 2008; Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE: MSO) acquired the assets related to Emeril’s media and merchandising business, including television programming, cookbooks, and emerils.com website, and his licensed kitchen and food products.

Gail Simmons is a trained culinary expert, food writer, and dynamic television personality. Since the show’s inception in 2006, she has lent her extensive expertise as permanent judge on Bravo’s Emmy-winning series Top Chef, currently in its 16th season. She was head critic on Top Chef Masters, host of Top Chef Just Desserts, Bravo’s pastry-focused spinoff of the Top Chef franchise, and was a judge on Universal Kids’ Top Chef Jr. She also hosts Iron Chef Canada and was the co-host of The Feed..

Her first cookbook, Bringing It Home: Favorite Recipes from a Life of Adventurous Eating, was released by Grand Central Publishing in October 2017. Nominated for an IACP award for Best General Cookbook, it features recipes inspired by Gail’s world travels—all made with accessible ingredients and with smart, simple techniques for successful family meals and easy entertaining. Gail’s first book, a memoir titled Talking With My Mouth Full, was published by Hyperion in February 2012.

Gail joined Food & Wine magazine in 2004, where she directs special projects, writing a monthly column and working closely with the country’s top culinary talent on events and chef-related initiatives. During her tenure, she has been responsible for overseeing the annual Classic in Aspen, America’s premier culinary event. Prior to working at Food & Wine, Gail was the special events manager for Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurant empire.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Gail moved to New York City in 1999 to attend culinary school at what is now the Institute of Culinary Education. She then trained in the kitchens of legendary Le Cirque 2000 and groundbreaking Vong restaurants, and worked as the assistant to Vogue magazine’s esteemed food critic, Jeffrey Steingarten. Throughout her career, Gail has contributed to several books, including It Must’ve Been Something I Ate by Steingarten, Chef Daniel Boulud: Cooking in New York City and The New American Chef, by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page.

In 2014, Gail and her business partner Samantha Hanks, founded Bumble Pie Productions, an original content company dedicated to discovering and promoting new female voices in the food and lifestyle space. Their first series, “Star Plates”—a collaboration with Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films and Authentic Entertainment—premiered in Fall 2016 on the Food Network.

In addition, Gail makes frequent television appearances on NBC’s TODAY, ABC’s Good Morning America, and the Rachel Ray Show, among others. She has been featured in publications such as People, New York magazine, Travel + Leisure, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, US Weekly, Los Angeles Times, and was named the #1 Reality TV Judge in America by the New York Post. Along with her annual appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, she makes regular appearances at the nation’s foremost culinary festivals, including the Austin Food & Wine Festival and Charleston Wine & Food Festival.

In February 2013, Gail was appointed Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Babson College, a mentoring role where she works with student entrepreneurs, helping them develop food-related social enterprises. In April 2016, she received the Award of Excellence by Spoons Across America, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating children about the benefits of healthy eating. She is an active board member and supporter of City Harvest, Hot Bread Kitchen, Common Threads, and the Institute of Culinary Education.

Gail currently lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy and their two children, Dahlia and Kole.

Hugh Acheson returns as a judge for for the twelfth season of Top Chef as a series judge. A competitor on Top Chef Duels as a series judge. A competitor on Top Chef Masters Season 3, Hugh is the chef/owner of Five & Ten, The National, Cinco y Diez, Empire State South and The Florence. In addition, Acheson also serves as a series judge on Bravo's newest culinary competition series, Top Chef Duels.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada Hugh started cooking at a young age and decided to make it his career. At age 15, he began working in restaurants after school and learning as much as possible. Today, Hugh's experience includes working under Chef Rob MacDonald where he learned stylized French cuisine, wine and etiquette at the renowned Henri Burger restaurant in Ottawa as well as in San Francisco as the chef de cuisine with Chef Mike Fennelly at Mecca, and later as opening sous-chef with famed Chef Gary Danko at his namesake restaurant.

Taking these experiences, Hugh developed a style of his own forging together the beauty of the South with the flavors of Europe and opening the critically acclaimed Athens, GA, restaurant Five & Ten in March of 2000. Hugh went on to open The National, with fellow chef Peter Dale, in 2007. His Atlanta-based restaurant Empire State South opened in 2010 and most recently, in 2014; Hugh opened both Cinco y Diez, in Athens, and The Florence in Savannah.

Hugh's fresh approach to Southern food has earned him a great deal of recognition including Food & Wine's Best New Chef (2002), the AJC Restaurant of the Year (2007), a 2007 Rising Star from StarChefs.com and winner of their Mentor Award in 2012, and a six-time James Beard nominee for Best Chef Southeast (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012) and winner in 2012. Chef Mario Batali chose Hugh as one of the 100 contemporary chefs in Phaidon Press' Coco: 10 World Leading Master Choose 100 Contemporary Chefs.

In addition to running three restaurants, Hugh has published two cookbooks. His first, titled A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for your Kitchen, was published by Clarkson Potter in the fall of 2011 and won the James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook in 2012. His second, titled Pick a Pickle: 50 Recipes for Pickles, Relishes and Fermented Snacks came out in the spring of 2014. He is in the process of writing his third, which is due out in 2015.

Emmy-nominated Padma Lakshmi is internationally known as an actress, food expert, model, and The New York Times best-selling author, as well as the recipient of the 2016 NECO Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Padma also serves as host and executive producer of Bravo's Emmy award-winning Top Chef, currently in its 15th season.

Padma was born in India and grew up in America. She graduated from Clark University with a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre Arts and American Literature. Known as India's first supermodel, she began her career as a fashion model, working in Europe and the United States.

Padma established herself as a food expert early in her career, having hosted two successful cooking shows and writing the best-selling Easy Exotic, which won the "Best First Book" award at the 1999 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. She followed this success with the publication of her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, which has over 150 recipes from around the world alongside intriguing personal essays. In 2016, She released her food memoir, The New York Times best-selling Love, Loss and What We Ate, followed shortly thereafter by The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs.

In addition to her food writing, she has also contributed to such magazines as Vogue, Gourmet and both British and American Harper's Bazaar, as well as a syndicated column on fashion and food for The New York Times.

For the Food Network, she hosted Padma's Passport, where she cooked diverse cuisine from around the world. She also hosted Planet Food, a documentary series on the Food Network and broadcast worldwide on the Discovery Channel. Padma was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role as host and judge on Bravo's Top Chef, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Show. Other television credits include co-hosting Rai Television's Domenica In, Italy’s highest-rated morning news program.

In 2009, Padma co-founded the Endometriosis Foundation of America alongside world-renowned Advanced Gynecological Surgeon Tamer Seckin, MD. After suffering from the disease for decades herself, she has been able to make amazing strides with the foundation, like launching the first interdisciplinary research facility in the country for Gynepathology as a joint project between Harvard Medical School and MIT, where she gave the keynote address at the Center’s opening in December 2009. Her efforts were recently recognized on the floor of the New York State Senate, where she succeeded in passing a bill related to teen health initiatives. The organization’s ENPOWR program has currently educated over 15,000 students about endometriosis in high schools across the state of New York.

In addition to these projects, Padma is a savvy businesswoman with multiple companies of her own. Her debut home décor line, The Padma Collection, hit Bloomingdale's stores nationwide with tabletop dishware, stemware and hand-blown glass décor pieces. She also created Padma's Easy Exotic, a collection of culinary products ranging from frozen organic foods, fine teas, and natural spice blends, to hard goods.

One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio returns once again as lead judge for Bravo's 16th season of the Emmy and James Beard Award-winning culinary series Top Chef, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges. He also hosts BravoTV.com's Emmy-Winning Digital Companion Video Series Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen.

Tom is also the chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, which currently includes New York's Craft, Riverpark, Temple Court and newest edition Small Batch; Los Angeles' Craft Los Angeles; and Las Vegas' Heritage Steak and Craftsteak. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Tom made his New York cooking debut at prominent New York restaurants including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill and Gramercy Tavern before opening Craft in 2001. Outside of his fine dining restaurants, Colicchio opened 'Wichcraft – a sandwich and salad fast casual concept rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft – in New York City in 2003.

He has published Think Like a Chef (2000), which won The James Beard Foundation "KitchenAid" Cookbook Award in May 2001; Craft of Cooking (2003); and a sandwich book inspired by 'wichcraft (2009). In May 2010, Tom was awarded The James Beard Foundation's coveted "Outstanding Chef" award, the culmination of his 30 years of hard work in the restaurant industry.

Tom appears in and served as executive producer on A Place at the Table, Participant Media's documentary about food insecurity in America, produced and directed by his wife, Lori Silverbush, by Kristi Jacobson. A Place at the Table, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2013, has become the launchpad for a national movement centered on ending hunger in the United States.

In an effort to broaden his long-standing social and political activism, Tom co-founded Food Policy Action in 2012 in collaboration with national food policy leaders, in order to hold legislators accountable on votes that have an effect on food and farming. He has also been an outspoken voice on issues like GMO labeling and the use of antibiotics in food sources, and he continues to lobby for better anti-hunger policies in America.

Tom and his restaurants give back to the community by serving on the boards of Children of Bellevue, City Harvest, Wholesome Wave and Food Policy Action. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and three sons. When he's not in the kitchen, Tom can be found tending to his garden on the North Fork of Long Island, enjoying a day of fishing or playing guitar.

The name Wolfgang Puck is synonymous with the best of restaurant hospitality and the ultimate in all aspects of the culinary arts. The famous chef has built an empire that encompasses three separate Wolfgang Puck entities: Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc.

Puck began cooking at his mother's side as a child. She was a chef in the Austrian town where he was born, and with her encouragement, Wolfgang began his formal training at 14 years of age. As a young chef he worked in some of France's greatest restaurants, including Maxim's in Paris, the Hotel de Paris in Monaco, and the Michelin 3-starred L'Oustau de Baumanière in Provence. At the age of 24, Wolfgang took the advice of a friend and left Europe for the United States. His first job was at the restaurant La Tour in Indianapolis, where he worked from 1973 to 1975.

Wolfgang came to Los Angeles in 1975 and very quickly garnered the attention of the Hollywood elite as chef and eventually part owner of Ma Maison in West Hollywood. His dynamic personality and culinary brilliance that bridged tradition and invention made Ma Maison a magnet for the rich and famous, with Wolfgang as the star attraction. He had an innate understanding of the potential for California cuisine, and was pivotal in its rise to national attention during the late 1970s.

From Ma Maison, Wolfgang went on to create his first flagship restaurant, Spago, originally located in West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. From its opening day in 1982, Spago was an instant success and culinary phenomenon. His early signature dishes, such as haute cuisine pizzas topped with smoked salmon and caviar, and Sonoma baby lamb with braised greens and rosemary, put him and Spago on the gourmet map, not just in Los Angeles but throughout the world. Wolfgang and Spago earned many accolades during its popular 18 years in West Hollywood, including winning the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Chef of the Year, twice, in 1991 and 1998, and the James Beard Foundation Award for Restaurant of the Year in 1994. Wolfgang is the only chef to have won the Outstanding Chef of the Year Award two times.

In 1983, following the success of Spago, Puck went on to open Chinois on Main in Santa Monica. His early exposure to Southern California's multicultural population intrigued him, inspiring him to fuse the Asian flavors and products of Koreatown, Chinatown, and Thaitown with his French- and California-based cuisine in a fine dining setting. Chinois on Main brought diners a fresh and imaginative Asian-fusion menu that laid the groundwork for fusion cooking in America.

In 1989, Wolfgang opened his third restaurant, Postrio, in the Prescott Hotel off San Francisco's Union Square. Postrio also draws upon the multi-ethnic nature of its surroundings. Its contemporary American cuisine, with its emphasis on local ingredients, continues to draw rave reviews in Northern California's highly competitive culinary market.

In 1997, Wolfgang moved Spago to an elegant setting on Cañon Drive in Beverly Hills. His Beverly Hills menu blazed new ground, with a combination of updated Spago classics and newly conceived items created by the award-winning talents of Managing Partner/Executive Chef Lee Hefter and Executive Pastry Chef Sherry Yard. The seasonal menu also draws from Wolfgang's favorite childhood dishes, offering a selection of Austrian specialties such as Wienerschnitzel and Kaiserschmarren. Spago Beverly Hills recently garnered two coveted Michelin Stars, one of only three Los Angeles restaurants to achieve this accolade.

In 2006, Wolfgang opened CUT, a sleek, contemporary steakhouse at the acclaimed Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel. After only one year, CUT earned a prestigious Michelin star. Wolfgang has changed the way Americans cook and eat by mixing formal French techniques and Asian- and California-influenced aesthetics with the highest quality ingredients. He also has changed the face of dining in cities throughout the nation, first in Los Angeles, then in Las Vegas, where he was the first star chef to create a contemporary fine dining restaurant, paving the way for other celebrated chefs and the city's metamorphosis into a dining destination.

After opening Spago in the Forum Shops at Caesars in 1992, Wolfgang went on to open five additional restaurants including Chinois in the Forum Shops at Caesars in 1998, Postrio at The Venetian and Trattoria del Lupo in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in 1999, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at MGM Grand in 2004 and CUT at The Palazzo in 2008.

Since 2001, Wolfgang and his Fine Dining Group have opened restaurants across the United States from Atlantic City (Wolfgang Puck American Grille at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in 2006) to Maui (Spago at the Four Seasons Resort in 2001). These also include The Source in Washington, DC (2007), Wolfgang Puck Grille at MGM Grand Detroit (2007), Spago at The Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch in Colorado (2007), Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck at Reunion Tower in Dallas (2009) and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at L.A. Live (2009).

Anthony serves as Executive Chef of Southern Art Bourbon Bar, where he gets to showcase his deep appreciation for Southern ingredients and traditional charcuterie. Growing up in Macon, Georgia, his family had a farm-to-table approach to cooking before they knew what it was -- going out in the backyard to shoot it, cook it and eat it. He met Chef Frank Lee while studying at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, and took a position with him at Slightly North of Broad, where he was introduced to the Maverick Southern Kitchen family. When they opened High Cotton in Charleston, South Carolina, Anthony worked up the ranks and eventually led the kitchens of both the Charleston and Greenville locations. In 2012, StarChefs.com named Anthony “Atlanta Rising Star Chef.” He and his wife recently welcomed a baby boy.

Bart eats, breathes, and sleeps restaurants and food. With a rambunctious personality and flare for strong opinions, Bart loves to share his passions for Belgian cuisine, Belgian beer, and Belgian culture. He is the Executive Chef and Owner of Belga Café, a restaurant in Washington, DC specializing in Belgian food and beer, and the upcoming B Too. Bart began culinary school at age 12, externing at Michelin-starred Au Vigneron, and moving on to work at renowned Belgian restaurants including Piet Huysentruyt and Restaurant Scholteshof, which earned two Michelin stars during his tenure as Sous Chef. Bart moved to DC in 1997 to serve as Executive Chef to the Ambassador to the European Union, followed by the Dutch Embassy. In 2006, Bart won StarChef.com's “Rising Star Chef” award, and in 2007 he prepared the Belgian Beer Lover’s Degustation at the James Beard House. He was also knighted in the order of Leopold II in 2009. Bart’s cooking is a combination of rustic and refined, playful yet soulful.

Los Angeles native Brooke Williamson has carved out an impressive resume full of leading roles and professional achievement, such as being the youngest female chef to ever cook at the James Beard House and a runner-up on Top Chef season 10 in Seattle. As the co-owner and co-chef, along with husband Nick Roberts, of successful ventures including Hudson House in Redondo Beach, and The Tripel, Playa Provisions, and the culinary retail boutique Tripli-Kit in Playa Del Rey, the culinary duo strives to bring a bit of LA's gourmet beachside vibe to the South Bay of Los Angeles. In October 2016, the wife and husband team debuted their fifth concept, a fast-casual Hawaiian restaurant called Da Kikokiko in Playa Vista, featuring three of Hawaii's most popular street foods: shave ice, poke, and musubi. Before the success of her hospitality empire, Williamson's career began as a teacher's assistant at the Epicurean Institute of Los Angeles, followed by a pastry assistant at Fenix, under the tutelage of Michelin-starred Chef Ken Frank. She later worked as the youngest sous chef at the nationally acclaimed restaurant Michael's of Santa Monica, before staging at the renowned Daniel restaurant by Chef and Owner Daniel Boulud in New York City. Two years later, Williamson was appointed her first Executive Chef position at the notable Los Angeles restaurant Boxer, which led her to opening the Brentwood eatery Zax as executive chef, where she began to develop her signature California-inspired cuisine—infused with local ingredients and global flavors. In addition to her experience competing on Top Chef, Williamson has no fear on camera and has also participated on other national TV shows including Top Chef Duels, winning a battle on Esquire Network's Knife Fight, and hosting MTV's first foodie series, House of Food.

Carla is a Brazilian-born, Italian-raised chef that is a household name in Las Vegas. She is currently Executive Chef and Owner of Vegas staple Bratalian Neapolitan Cantina, in Henderson, Nevada. When Carla first came to America, she attended culinary school and then, with Frank Pellegrino, Jr., opened Baldoria Restaurant in New York City. In 2006, a dream became a reality when Carla moved to Las Vegas to open and run Rao’s Las Vegas. She’s cooked at the James Beard House five times, and in 2009 was named VIP member of the James Beard Foundation and a Women in Food Honoree. She is currently working on her first cookbook.

Orange County-born C.J. Jacobson grew up relatively indifferent to food but his rich life experiences eventually converged to create an intense dedication to cooking. His craft is best described as "rustic-refined" and revolves around a profound respect for the hyper-seasonal, local ingredients he brings into his kitchen at Girasol in Studio City, CA, which he conceptually collaborated on with Jorge Pultera, former manager at The Ivy, Koi and Red O.

Jacobson has always been one for a good competition, even before starring on Top Chef. He attended Pepperdine University in Malibu on a volleyball scholarship, made the U.S. National Volleyball Team, and just missed an opportunity to compete in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. But a professional volleyball career took him to Belgium, Israel, and the Netherlands, where he discovered food could be exciting and inspiring. Returning to L.A. after his volleyball career, Jacobson did a three-day immersion at Mélisse, the Michelin two-star restaurant in Santa Monica where he realized the kitchen would be the next arena in which he would compete. He enrolled at the Le Cordon Bleu-affiliated College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, graduating in 2004. Jacobson's first professional job was cooking at Axe, a highly regarded restaurant with an ingredient-driven California menu. He went on to work throughout Los Angeles and as a private chef for VIPs such as Arianna Huffington and Guess clothing's Marciano family.

A bout with cancer didn't slow Jacobson down but fueled his intensity for cooking and love of life. After his first appearance on Top Chef in 2007, he assumed the position of executive chef at The Yard, a gastropub in Venice. The following year, Jacobson participated in the renowned James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour. In 2012, he staged at the world-renowned Copenhagen restaurant Noma.

When he's not in the kitchen, Jacobson enjoys music and has recently rediscovered his passion for the game of volleyball. But leisure time is scarce, as the dedicated 37-year-old chef is consumed by the study and preparation of food.

Chrissy is a spunky Filipino woman who currently serves as Chef at Bar Pastoral, an extension of Chicago’s beloved cheese, specialty food and wine shop, Pastoral. She graduated from Loyola University, Chicago with a degree in biology, and has worked hard to shine throughout her culinary career. When she wasn’t working, Chrissy has staged at acclaimed restaurants such as Bouchon, Alinea, Blackbird, Boka, Avenues, Naha and The Bristol. In 2010, she was featured on the cover of 'Time Out' magazine for her charcuterie plate, and in 2012, Christina was featured on Grubstreet’s “101 of the Most Interesting Desserts.” If she were a food, she says, “I would be a Santol fruit – sometimes sweet, sometimes tart, unusual and a skin that can be thick or thin.”

Daniel is a quirky and hugely creative chef who opened Seasonal Pantry, a market and supper club in Washington, DC, two years ago. Here, he gets to do what he wants, and even created a Wu-Tang Clan-inspired menu for one supper club dinner. Seasonal Pantry has been awarded the coveted Washington Post Editor’s Pick, and was also named one of “10 Best New Restaurants” in the Washingtonian. After a three month internship at Le Laurier Hotel in France, Daniel went on to serve as Executive Chef at Mill Creek Golf Club in New York, Sous Chef at Equinox and Executive Sous Chef at Bibiana Osteria, both in DC. Born and raised in rural New York where he worked in the family garden, most of Daniel’s cooking is country rustic. The five ingredients he keeps on hand at all times is capers, fleur de sel, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and duck fat.

Danyele serves as Sous Chef at one of the oldest, most well-respected restaurants in Dallas, The Grape, under Brian C. Luscher. here, Danyele and Luscher focus on bistro fare with a strong specialization in charcuterie. While she may be a relative newbie, Danyele went from intern to Sous Chef in just two years under mentor Stephan Pyles at his namesake restaurant, outlasting four executive chefs and leading the culinary force behind Fuego, a 10-course tasting menu that uses scientific techniques applied to cooking. She has also traveled with Pyles to multiple Food & Wine festivals, executing their dishes. Very humble about her food and always trying to learn more, Danyele has a raw talent that enables her the opportunity to shine. Her current menus reflect her interest of fresh, seasonal, local fare, and highlight her interest in making simple flavors and classic dishes new and exciting.

Eliza trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, but loves cooking in “little ol’ Telluride” where she can be the boss. This highly competitive chef hates it when people say they put love into their food and says, “it’s not love -- it’s work.” Eliza defines her cooking as Modern Bistro Cuisine, preparing fresh ingredients simply, with bright flavors prepared with French Classic techniques, and serving them in an intimate atmosphere. Her cuisine is comprised of influences from her extensive travels throughout Europe, the Caribbean, New Zealand, Australia and Southern United States. Eliza began working at 221 South Oak Bistro in 1999 and bought it a year later. She has two published cookbooks, Foreplay: A Book of Appeteasers and Recipes from 221 South Oak Bistro.

Lizzie was born and raised in South Africa, but earned her impressive culinary stripes in some of the best kitchens around the globe. With culinary inspirations from her fisherman father and great entertaining grandmothers, she’s ventured from the romantic wilds of Africa, through establishment Europe and foodie Australia, before falling in love with both America and an American and settling in Northern California. Energetic and charismatic, with a true commitment to authentic fresh food, Lizzie has spent time at Jardiniere in San Francisco, The French Laundry in Napa, and Chez Panisse in Berkeley. Most recently the Executive Chef of the acclaimed Italian-inspired Bar Bambino in San Francisco, Lizzie is presently on the hunt for her next adventure. She currently resides in Napa with her chef husband and two kids, Ben, who at age 6 has a studied seasoning hand, and Zaidie, a pasta-making princess at age 3.

Gina is a culinary author, award-winning dietitian and founder and CEO of Nourishing USA, a community food program that feeds tens-of-thousands across America. Utilizing her professional and educational experiences, Gina has become known for her food-focused appearances, cookbooks, her campaign for the use of fresh foods in low-income areas, and as an American Diabetes Ambassador. She has been recognized for her charity work, being named a 2011 CNN Hero and L’Oreal Woman of Worth. Additionally, The Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, American Culinary Federation and The James Beard Foundation have recognized Gina for her culinary and humanitarian impact. If she could have a last meal with anyone, it would be steamed blue crabs with her husband and family, with the bibs, hammers and newspaper on the table.

A native of Northern Virginia, Jeffrey Jew began his career managing restaurants in New York City, Miami, and Washington, D.C. following his graduation from Virginia Tech in 1999 with a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management.

In 2005, Jeffrey enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY where he graduated top of his class with a degree in Culinary Arts. As a Chef, Jeffrey worked for Chef Angela Hartnett and Chef Gordon Ramsay at the famed Connaught Hotel in London and also has spent time cooking in kitchens in France and Italy. While living in Washington, D.C., Jeffrey was the Head Chef of the Embassy of Italy as well as the Chef de Cuisine for some of DC's most notable restaurants. Jeffrey has a passion for wine and has worked the wine harvest here in the United States, France, Italy and Spain. Recently, Jeffrey could be seen cooking on Bravo's cooking competition series Top Chef.

Currently, Jeffrey is the Executive Chef overseeing culinary operations and design for 2BHospitality in Saint Petersburg, Florida, which includes BellaBrava and his new concept set to open in early 2015.

Top Chef Season 10: Seattle. Current Residency: Dallas, TX Occupation/Profession: Chef/Partner/Restaurateur, Knife at The Highland Dallas

Three-time James Beard "Best Southwest Chef" semifinalist and Top Chef season 10 contestant John Tesar is known for his stylish, modern American cuisine prepared with classic European techniques, innovative culinary perspective and no-nonsense personality. Throughout his 20+ years in the restaurant industry, which started in La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in Paris, he has received national nods from Esquire (named for Best New Restaurants for two consecutive years), FOOD & WINE and The New York Times, has made appearances on The Today Show and The Early Show and won the inaugural season of Food Network's Extreme Chef. Chef Tesar worked in Westhampton, New York and Las Vegas before putting down roots in Dallas in 2007 where he has consulted for the menus at DRG Concepts' Dallas Chop House and most recently Oak in the Design District, to name a few. Knife at The Highland Dallas is Tesar's vision of what a contemporary steakhouse should be. Opened in 2014, the chef-driven restaurant has continued to be recognized for reinventing the steakhouse experience. Most recently Knife's pimento cheeseburger was featured as Best Burger in Dallas on The 50 Greatest Burgers list for Texas Magazine and Best Steakhouse by D Magazine's "Best of Big D's" list. Always looking ahead for the next project, Tesar announced he is working with Flatiron Books and Macmillan on a book, Knife: Modern Steak and All American Meats, that will be published in spring 2017.

It seems that Denver natives are as rare as the white truffle, but Denver-born Jorel Pierce is the exception that proves the rule, even graduating from Johnson and Wales University in the Mile High City.

Kitchen stints as diverse as Le Manoir aux Quat Saison in Oxford, England, Willie G's and other chain operations in Denver led Pierce to the kitchen of Rioja as a line cook where he told the other cooks he would be sous chef in just a few weeks. Chef Jasinski promoted him after 18 months, and he has never looked back. Jorel traces his interest in food to early home experiences where he was exposed to complex, exotic flavors, and participated in hunting and foraging. He loved the act of cooking and eating and fell in love with the techniques and foundations that outline great cuisine.

Self-described as passionate, intense and ambitious, Jorel lists Marco Pierre White, Thomas Keller and Rioja Chef/Owner Jennifer Jasinski as culinary inspirations for widely disparate reasons. Pierre White preaches all out utilization of ingredients, Keller pursues perfection and Jasinski has driven Pierce to fulfill his dreams. He loves to cook to jazz music all day but defaults to bluegrass when the world gets crazy.

As a sous chef at Rioja, Pierce learned management techniques, ingredient utilization and inspired cooking from his fellow workers and chefs. He plans on applying those lessons as Chef de Cuisine at Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen.

Pierce is married and lives in south Denver with his wife Lindsey and their 15-year-old Siamese cat Moxie.

**Jorel tried out for and made it to the final round of casting (episode 1001 for Top Chef: Seattle where he was Eliminated in Tom’s kitchen at Craft.

Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Joshua discovered his passion for food from reading cookbooks in high school. His culinary career began in a Mexican restaurant at age 19, where he worked various positions to garner a firm understanding of the inner workings of the restaurant industry. After realizing his passion for the culinary arts, Joshua attended culinary school and went on to gain experience at a variety of restaurants, including Restaurant Alma in Minneapolis and Local in Dallas. Joshua continued his culinary career in Dallas where he joined Stephan Pyles and Samar by Stephan Pyles as Line Cook and Sous Chef. His talents led him back to Oklahoma where he became the Chef de Cuisine at The Coach House restaurant and, most recently, General Manager and Executive Chef at Divine Swine. He recently relocated to Dallas with his wife and three daughters, where he is working at FT 33.

Chef Josie is a classically trained bohemian chef, global adventurist, TV and radio personality, entrepreneur, former women’s pro football player, social activist and lifestyle ambassador. She spent a decade rockin’ the New York City food scene, working under renowned chefs Wylie Dufresne, Jean-Georges Vongrichten, Caroline Fidanza, and Walter Hinds, to name a few. Chef Josie is also a culinary adventurer who has traveled the globe piercing the veins of each place she visits, trading stories, drinking the water, seeking the sounds, tasting the culture, admitting each new place transforms her. Chef Josie connects with people through her genuine smile, good food, and infectious laugh. She continues to connect with people through her genuine smile, good food and infectious laugh. The very busy Chef Josie is currently working on a music-driven cooking show, The Rock and Roll Cooking Show®; a baked potato takeout concept, Global Soul To Go ™; and a popsicle and ice cream company, Pop Queens®. Currently, Chef Josie can be found in San Francisco at Thee Parkside with her pop up Global Soul Corner™.

Born in South Korea and adopted into a family in Kentwood, MI, Kristen Kish showed an affinity for cooking at a young age. Her mother suggested she go to culinary school and since attending Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago, Kristen has never looked back.

After moving to Boston, Kristen has worked in many high-profile restaurants including Michelin-star Chef Guy Martin's Sensing and Barbara Lynch's Stir as Chef de Cuisine, overseeing all back of house operations, including the design and execution of nightly menus and demonstration dinners for 10 guests. Kristen went on to compete on Top Chefwhere she won the coveted title, becoming the second female chef to win the prestigious competition. Most recently, Kristen was Chef de Cuisine of Menton, Chef Barbara Lynch's fine dining restaurant.

Kuniko is living the American Dream, and she came to food in a roundabout way. Unhappy working in finance in her native Japan, Kuniko picked up and moved to Los Angeles, getting a job as a server at a noodle house in Los Angeles. Here, she met Chef David Myers of the Michelin starred Sona, who, moved by Kuniko’s passion and zeal, suggested she test her culinary aspirations in his kitchen. Not only did she rise to the challenge -- an un-trained cook in one of the city’s most famed kitchens -- she blossomed. Five years later, she is Myers’ protégé and most recently served as Executive Chef of his popular Los Angeles restaurant, Comme Ça. She will be opening his upcoming Los Angeles restaurant as Executive Chef in December 2012. In 2010, Kuniko was named StarChef.com’s Rising Star.

Micah has never had a single bite of pork or shellfish until the age of 18, as the son of an orthodox Catholic priest who strictly followed religious kosher law. Now he’s obsessed with pork and everything that comes from the sea. Micah is the co-founder of Chefs Who Surf, an organization that promotes sustainable seafood and ocean conservation. He serves as Executive Chef at Los Angeles’ The Standard Hotel, and has been featured on StarChefs.com, was the opening chef for Venice Beach’s Hotel Erwin where he served up what Food & Wine magazine hailed as the “perfect post-surf breakfast,” featured in various food and travel magazines and was named Pasadena Weekly’s “Rising Star Chef.” Micah named his twin daughters Saffron and Sage to ensure the culinary thread continues through his bloodline.

Born in Hilo, Chef Sheldon Simeon acquired his love for cooking from his parents. His path led from Hilo High to the Culinary Institute of the Pacific onto an internship at Walt Disney World. Upon returning to Hawaii, Simeon attended Maui Culinary Academy. He competed on season 10 of Top Chef in Seattle where he finished as a finalist and won the coveted "Fan Favorite" title. After serving as the executive chef at Maui's Mala Wailea and MiGRANT, he was named in Hawaii Magazine's Top 5 Best Hawaiian Chefs of 2014 and voted FOOD & WINE Magazine's 2014 People's Best New Chef for the Pacific & Northwest. Earlier this year, Simeon opened Tin Roof, a mom and pop eatery in Kahului.

Stefan was born in Finland, but spent the majority of his childhood in Germany where he began culinary training in his early teens. He worked his way through various European and Asian kitchens. In 1998, he joined master chefs Grant McPherson, Sotta Kuhn, Jacques Torres, Jean Philip Maury and Marc Poidevin as part of the creative team for the opening of the Bellagio Hotel, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas as Executive Sous Chef. Since then, Stefan has retired in Santa Monica. Stefan has also opened the restaurant group Stefan's Restaurants in Santa Monica, 5 Steakhouses in his native Finland. Stefan is spending most of his summers traveling and growing organic vegetables, raising chickens on his farm and between each of his European restaurants, maintaining a hands-on approach in the kitchen. During winter month he is traveling for the Finnisch restaurant group SR Max and Restamax to open new concepts like Stefan's Burgers and Beer and multiple others.

Always passionate about cooking, Stephanie Cmar began working in the food industry when she was 15 years old at the Muffin Shop in Marblehead, MA. It ignited her thirst for food and provided the direction for her life. In 2007, Stephanie graduated from Johnson & Wales University and returned to Boston to begin her career at Top of the Hub. She continued developing her talent by working as sous chef at Ivy Restaurant. Her next step was working with Barbara Lynch Gruppo at B&G Oysters in 2009 as line cook where she was quickly promoted to sous chef and from there, she moved over to Stir. Most recently, Stephanie has continued to further her fine dining skills at No. 9 Park. The fast-paced, creative environment continues to inspire her and drives her passion for food.

Tina is a complex chef and individual, who has worked directly with such great chefs as Nobu Matsuhisa, Masaharu Morimoto, Toshi Tomita and Claude Troisgros. She served as Omikase Chef at Nobu in New York before moving over to Nobu Next Door, where she was Head Kitchen Chef and earned three stars from The New York Times. Tina then helped open Cello with Executive Chef Laurent Tourondel, where they also received three stars from The New York Times. Tina moved on three years later to lead the kitchen at Nicole’s. Most recently, Tina serves as Executive Chef and Senior Director of Research and Development for FreshDirect, an online grocer delivering fine foods throughout New York City.

Tyler is the super hyper and energetic Culinary Director for all four of John Elway’s restaurants. He’s been an Executive Chef at four white tablecloth restaurants and has cooked at the James Beard House more times than he can remember. He’s also worked with Michael Mina and Michel Richard. In 2007, he was voted “Top Chef Denver” by 5280 Magazine, and in 2008 was the National Winner of the 19th Annual Taste of Elegance competition. Tyler goes big or doesn’t go at all, and has used that quality to work up the ranks and control some of the best restaurants in Colorado.